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PM Modi, President of the Government of Spain jointly inaugurate TATA Aircraft Complex for manufacturing C-295 aircraft in Vadodara

Published By : Admin | October 28, 2024 | 10:30 IST
The C-295 Aircraft facility in Vadodara reinforces India's position as a trusted partner in global aerospace manufacturing:PM
Make in India, Make for the World:PM
The C-295 aircraft factory reflects the new work culture of a New India:PM
India's defence manufacturing ecosystem is reaching new heights:PM

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi and the President of the Government of Spain, Mr Pedro Sanchez jointly inaugurated the TATA Aircraft Complex for manufacturing C-295 aircraft at TATA advanced systems limited (TASL) Campus in Vadodara, Gujarat today. Both Prime Ministers also took a walkthrough of the exhibition showcased on the occasion.

Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister remarked that it is the President of the Government of Spain, Mr Pedro Sanchez’s first visit to India and the partnership between the two countries is finding a new direction today. Noting the inauguration of the TATA Aircraft Complex for manufacturing C-295 aircraft, the Prime Minister said that it would not only strengthen the relations between the two nations but also give momentum to the mission of ‘Make in India, Make for the World’. Shri Modi conveyed his best wishes to the entire team of Airbus and TATA on the occasion. The Prime Minister also paid his tributes to Late Shri Ratan Tata ji.

The Prime Minister underlined that the factory of C295 aircraft is a reflection of the new work culture of New India and said that India’s speed from idea to the execution of any project in the country can be witnessed here. Recalling the foundation stone laying of the factory in October 2022, the Prime Minister said that the facility is now ready for production of C295 aircrafts. Emphasizing the focus on eliminating unaccounted delays in the planning and execution of projects, the Prime Minister recalled the setting up of Bombardier Train Coach manufacturing facility in Vadodara as the Chief Minister of Gujarat and said that factory was ready in record time for production. “Metro Coaches made in this factory are being exported to other nations today”, he added. Shri Modi expressed confidence that the aircrafts made in today’s inaugurated facility would also be exported.

Quoting the famous Spanish poet, Antonio Machado, the Prime Minister remarked that as we start treading towards the goal, the path towards the goal is created automatically. Noting that India’s defence manufacturing ecosystem was scaling new peaks today, Shri Modi said that if concrete steps were not taken 10 years ago then it would have been impossible to reach this destination today. He added that a decade ago, the priority and identity of defence manufacturing were about import and none could imagine that defence manufacturing could take place on such a large scale in India. The Prime Minister remarked that the Government decided to walk on a new path, set new goals for India, whose results are evident today.

The Prime Minister said that India’s transformation of the defense sector exemplifies how a right plan and partnership can turn possibilities into prosperity. He underlined that strategic decisions have spurred the growth of a vibrant defense industry in India over the last decade. “We expanded private sector participation in defense manufacturing, made public sector units more efficient, restructured ordnance factories into seven major companies, and empowered DRDO and HAL”, said Shri Modi. He said establishing defense corridors in Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu infused new energy into the sector. Touching upon iDEX (Innovation for Defence Excellence) scheme, the Prime Minister said that it has driven the growth of around 1,000 defense startups in the past five to six years. He informed that India’s defense exports have increased 30 times over the past decade, with the country now exporting equipment to over 100 countries.

The Prime Minister laid emphasis on skilling and job creation and said that projects like the Airbus-Tata factory will create thousands of jobs. He said that the factory will support indigenous manufacturing of 18,000 aircraft parts, providing immense opportunities for MSMEs across India. Noting that India is one of the biggest suppliers of parts for the world's major aircraft companies even today, Shri Modi said that the new aircraft factory will give a big boost to new skills and new industries in India.

The Prime Minister underlined that he was looking at today's program beyond the manufacturing of transport aircraft. Highlighting the unprecedented growth and transformation of India's aviation sector in the last decade, Shri Modi remarked that India was providing air connectivity to hundreds of small cities in the country, while simultaneously working to make India a hub of aviation and MRO domain. He added that this ecosystem will also pave the way for Made in India civil aircraft in the future. Noting that various Indian airlines have ordered 1200 new aircraft, Shri Modi said that this only meant the newly inaugurated factory will play a major role from designing to manufacturing civil aircraft to meet the needs of India and the world in the future.

Noting that Vadodara City was a stronghold of MSMEs, Shri Modi remarked that the city will act as a catalyst in these efforts of India. He added that the city also had a Gatishakti University, which was preparing professionals for different sectors of India. The Prime Minister also noted that there were many companies related to many sectors like the pharma sector, Engineering and Heavy Machinery, Chemicals and Petrochemicals, Power and Energy Equipment in Vadodara. He added that now this entire region was also going to be a major hub of aviation manufacturing in India. Shri Modi congratulated the Government of Gujarat and its Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and his entire team for their modern industrial policies and decisions.

Noting that Vadodara was also an important cultural city of India, Shri Modi said he was elated to welcome all the friends from Spain. “The cultural connect between India and Spain has its own importance”, stated the Prime Minister. He remarked that Father Carlos Valle had come from Spain and settled in Gujarat and spent fifty years of his life. He further added that Father Valle had enriched the culture with his thoughts and writings. Shri Modi stated that he also had the good fortune of meeting Father Valle and the Government of India honored him with Padma Shri for his great contribution.

Shri Modi noted that yoga was highly popular in Spain too and Spanish football was also liked in India. Remarking about the football match between Real Madrid and Barcelona clubs which took place yesterday, Shri Modi said that Barcelona's great victory was a topic of discussion in India too and the fervor of the fans of both the clubs was same in India as it is in Spain. Throwing light on India and Spain’s multifaceted partnership, the Prime Minister said, “Whether it's food, films, or football, our strong people-to-people connect has always strengthened our ties.” Shri Modi expressed happiness that India and Spain have decided to celebrate 2026 as the India-Spain Year of Culture, Tourism, and AI.

Concluding the address, the Prime Minister expressed confidence that today's event will inspire many new joint collaboration projects between India and Spain. He extended an invitation to the Spanish industry and innovators and encouraged them to come to India and become partners in the country's development journey.

Governor of Gujarat, Shri Acharya Devvrat, Chief Minister of Gujarat, Shri Bhupendra Patel, Union Minister for Defence, Shri Rajnath Singh and Union Minister for External Affairs, Shri S Jaishakar were present on the occasion among others.

Background

Under the C-295 program, a total of 56 aircrafts are to be delivered out of which 16 are being delivered directly by Airbus from Spain and remaining 40 are to be made in India.

Tata Advanced Systems Ltd is responsible for making these 40 aircrafts in India. This facility becomes the first private sector Final Assembly Line (FAL) for military aircraft in India. It will involve the full development of a complete ecosystem from the manufacture to assembly, test and qualification, to delivery and maintenance of the complete lifecycle of the aircraft.

Apart from Tatas, leading defence public sector units such as Bharat Electronics Ltd. and Bharat Dynamics Ltd, as well as private Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises will contribute to this program. Earlier in October 2022, Prime Minister had laid the foundation stone for the Vadodara Final Assembly Line (FAL).

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Honorable Governor of West Bengal Shri R. N. Ravi ji, energetic Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari ji, Chief of Naval Staff Krishna Swaminathan ji, distinguished ladies and gentlemen present here!

Today is special in many ways. The whole world is celebrating International Yoga Day. I am pleased that on this occasion I have had the opportunity to come to this great land of Bengal. This is the land that gave new direction to India’s ideas, that accelerated India’s renaissance, and that for centuries connected India to the world through the sea. Today, on this very soil, an important program linked to Atmanirbhar Bharat, Surakshit Bharat, and Viksit Bharat is taking place. Just a short while ago, INS Agray, INS Dunagiri, and INS Sanshodhak have been inducted into the Indian Navy. Incidentally, June 21 is also celebrated as “World Hydrography Day.” And it is a remarkable coincidence that on this very day, India’s most advanced hydrography ship, INS Sanshodhak, has been commissioned. I extend my warm congratulations and best wishes to the Indian Navy, to all the scientists, engineers, workers associated with these projects, and to my beloved countrymen.

Friends,

The world bears witness that no nation can become a great power without maritime capability. Development is linked to the seas, security is linked to the seas, prosperity is linked to the seas. Today, most of the world’s trade flows through maritime routes. The vast networks of data that connect the world pass beneath the oceans. In the coming times, critical minerals, deep-sea resources, and new sources of energy will also be connected to the seas. Therefore, the stronger a nation’s maritime strength, the stronger its economic and strategic influence. India understands this reality well. India is preparing itself for it. And today is proof of what our capability is, what our skill is.

Friends,

A few years ago, when we dedicated INS Vikrant to the nation, India announced a new chapter of its maritime strength. It was a declaration of our capability before the world. The journey from INS Vikrant to today is not just about new warships. It is also the journey of India’s growing self-reliance. Today, INS Agray, INS Dunagiri, and INS Sanshodhak are giving new momentum to that journey. These three ships are symbols of three important resolves of India. They have been built in India. Their designs were prepared in India. Their construction involved the talent of Indian industries, the skill of Indian engineers, and the hard work of Indian workers. And this is the greatest strength of New India.

Friends,

Today, India does not want to remain merely a buyer in the defense sector. Our military strength cannot be reduced to a marketplace for the world. The identity of our strength lies not in being a market, but in our self-reliance. India wants to be a manufacturer. And the day we become manufacturers, we will also become decisive. We are moving rapidly in this direction. In recent years, more than 40 Made in India warships and submarines have been inducted into the Navy. This means that almost every few weeks, the Indian Navy has gained new strength. Even now, 45 major naval platforms are under construction. This is not just a number. It is proof of India’s industrial capability. It is a signal of India’s future.

Friends,

In the coming years, India’s maritime sector has the capacity to generate millions of new jobs. That is why we do not see the maritime sector as an isolated sector. We see it as the employment engine of a developed India. A modern ship requires hundreds of tons of steel, electronics, machinery, and thousands of components. Behind all this, thousands of companies work - which means thousands of youth get employment. In the construction of the three ships commissioned today, more than 200 MSMEs have contributed. We can imagine the vast number of jobs created in these 200 MSMEs, in these small industries.

Friends,

The time has come for India to enter the next phase of maritime power. Therefore, India has begun to move forward with a new vision for the shipbuilding sector. In recent years, numerous policy reforms have been undertaken. Special measures have been taken to enhance domestic manufacturing capacity. Shipbuilding, ship repair, ship recycling, and MRO are now being seen as part of a major national mission.

Friends,

The incentive package of ₹70,000 crore announced for the shipping sector is not merely an economic decision. It is an investment in India’s maritime future. It is an investment in India’s industrial expansion.

Friends,

Today, India is strengthening its entire maritime ecosystem. That is why India is modernizing its ports, creating new capacity, building new connectivity, expanding river waterways, and developing a multi-modal logistics network. Campaigns like Sagarmala are part of this comprehensive vision. This is reducing the cost of trade, giving new momentum to industries, and creating new opportunities in coastal regions.

Friends,

There was a time when India was known as one of the world’s largest defense importers. This dependence posed both strategic and security challenges. After the government was formed in 2014, we resolved to change this situation. Major policy reforms were carried out, and self-reliance in the defense sector was prioritized. As a result, today new possibilities have emerged in defense design, manufacturing, and exports. Until 2014, the country’s total defense production was around ₹40,000 crore. Today, it has increased to nearly ₹1,80,000 crore.

And friends,

On one hand, defense production in the country has grown rapidly, and on the other hand, our defense exports have increased at an unprecedented pace. Until 2014, India exported defense products worth about ₹700 crore. Today, this figure has risen to nearly ₹40,000 crore. Defense equipment made in India is now reaching more than 80 countries around the world.

Friends,

In the journey of self-reliance, much remains to be done. In my view, this is only the beginning. But the progress achieved in 12 years shows that when policies are clear, when direction is right, and when we work together, such a massive transformation can take place in the country.

Friends,

When we talk about maritime heritage, the name of Bengal naturally comes to mind. This land has also been significant in India’s maritime connections. The currents of the Hooghly have witnessed history being reshaped, new chapters of trade being written, and new journeys of development unfolding. And see the coincidence - this port is named after Bengal’s son, the country’s first Industry Minister, Dr. Syama Prasad Mukherjee.

Friends,

In the new maritime era that India is moving towards, the role of West Bengal will be very important. Here, there is port capacity, industrial capacity, talent, skill, and the ability to take the maritime economy to new heights. I am confident that in the coming years, West Bengal will become a vital center for India’s Blue Economy, maritime manufacturing, logistics, and coastal development.

Friends,

India has always regarded the sea as a medium of cooperation. But India also knows that strength is equally necessary to safeguard peace. Security is essential to protect prosperity. And self-reliance is indispensable for building the future. Today, INS Agray, INS Dunagiri, and INS Sanshodhak have joined the Indian Navy as symbols of this very spirit. They represent the India that is recognizing its strength in the 21st century, trusting its own capabilities, and moving forward before the world with new confidence, with speed, energy, and determination.

Friends,

On this auspicious occasion, I extend my best wishes to all my companions in the Navy, to all my fellow citizens. Once again, I heartily congratulate the Indian Navy, all scientists, engineers, workers, and the people of the nation. Thank you.